Pink & Green

Look what came in the post today!

The photo doesn't really do the colour justice. It is a lovely vibrant green with black undertones which is just perfect for the tree. I can now properly commence the Big Project ©.
Many thanks to Minerva Crafts for such excellent and quick service.

The Race for Life on Sunday went really well. I completed the 5k (3 miles) in 33minutes and 50 seconds - a thoroughly respectable time! The weather, grey and miserable was not ideal and certainly not as lovely as Saturday had been. All the same, looking on the bright side, it didn't rain until after the race was done.

My total raised so far is £178 which is more than I hoped for - I'm so pleased! My owl came with me and I wore the ribbon as well. The crowd was great, really supportive. As I rounded the last corner I could see my gang of friends at the finish line and I just couldn't help but smile and put in a bit of extra oomph for a sprint finish. Brilliant experience - if you've never done it I highly recommend it - it's good for the soul.

Afterwards was a little less saintly - we hit the pub! I think we deserved it, to be honest. A burger and some real ale was just what was called for!

In less happy news, my poor long-suffering team went to Wembley and came home empty-handed for a seventh time. ONE DAY it will be our turn. But it just wasn't to be. I'm not a bitter fan - you can't be if you support a team like Brentford. You take the rough days with the smooth days. We had an absolutely stunning season this year - scoring first against Chelsea at Griffin Park was definitely the highlight. Finishing 4th overall is a good achievement, although very disappointing not to have beaten Yeovil. Maybe next year? 

Finally, the saga of the porch is still ongoing. I think we have pretty much made our decision, although I can't help but wonder if the decision was actually made for us. One of our finalists advised that the quote did not include the removal of the brick wall (were they just going to work round it?! Or perhaps dismantle it and reconstruct it 2 feet out of the way...) and furthermore the width of the unit was non-negotiable, even if it was 10cm too wide! (You can't fit a 1200mm frame in a 1100mm gap without a TARDIS). Needless to say, that company will be getting a "better luck next time" from our judging panel.

Day of Rest

Walk the Wight is one of the big charity events held on the island. Every year thousands of people take part to raise money for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice. There are four walks to choose from;
- the full 26 mile walk from Bembridge to Alum Bay
- 13 miles from Bembridge to Carisbrooke
- 13 miles from Carisbrooke to Alum Bay
- the 8 mile flat walk from Sandown to Newport

In 2010 I walked the full 26 miles. It took me just under 10 hours and the blisters on my feet were there for a couple of months but it was totally worth it. The last hill is an absolute killer (Tennyson Down, but it should be called Tennyson Up) but nothing beats the feeling of coming down into the Needles park with the prospect of a hot bath and a take away.

Since then I've down the walk from Bembridge to Alum Bay and last year I did the flat walk with my mum.

Bearing in mind that I'm doing Race for Life next weekend I decided to do the flat walk again with one of my friends (that's my excuse & I'm sticking to it). My friend has various long term health issues and for her today was a real achievement, a fantastic milestone in her journey. It was great to be part of that.

As we crossed the start line we spotted some knitted owls for sale to raise money for the Hospice. We thought it would be fun to take them with us and photograph "their" progress along the walk.

 

 

Such a simple little idea but they really were too lovely to leave behind. We also managed to get to Newport before the rain started. A good warm up for next week when I'll be running rather than strolling through the countryside. I think I'll take my little owl with me round the course next week for some company.

 

This evening, after all that walking, I've mostly been making excellent progress on my Dad's Dalek. Now that Brentford FC are headed to Wembley (also next sunday) doing a Dalek in team colours seems especially appropriate. My Dad is making the trip so who knows - maybe next sunday evening Brentford will be in the Championship. Here's hoping.

 

The body is finished and I've done the plunger and I'm half way through the blast gun. Then he just needs stuffing and he'll be raring to go.

 

I had forgotten how much I hated doing those bobbles - 14 to a round, 4 rounds. They take an awful lot of patience. More irritating yet was the k1 p1 in alternate colours to get the stripe effect on the shoulders.

 

This pattern is quite fun in that it requires a variety of different skills. There's a temporary cast on, knitting in the round, i-cord and, of course, those infamous bobbles.

 

 



 He's going to look great when he's finished. I made a blue one for me a couple of years ago (Blue Dalek) and I've had him sitting on my desk at work, warding off evil spirits.

So all in all, a busy but successful sunday. I can't believe it is only a week to the Race For Life. I'm rather excited.